Hagrid's 11th Birthday Cake for Harry [Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (book)]

July 31, 2017 Elyse Roth

Okay so I know that Harry Potter is a lot of things, but it's not a TV show. I WILL say that it might as well be because if any of the movies are on TV, I will watch it. Not to mention that I OWN all eight movies. I love it so much, and in my head it spans genres, so I couldn't not commemorate the 20th anniversary of the first book release on Harry's birthday (don't worry, I will also commemorate the 20th anniversary of the US release). There are a lot of food moments to choose from, but this one felt super special because it's the same time he finds out he's a wizard. The best birthday present ever! I read this shortly before I turned 11, and I spent my whole time leading up to my birthday hoping the book was semi-nonfiction and that I would have a certain letter waiting for me that day. It was nice to finally see someone recognizing Harry in the respectful way he deserved and to give him something...anything, especially this life changing news that gets him away from the Dursleys.

Those familiar with the movie might notice that the cake does not look like the one in the movie. They switched out the chocolate glaze and icing for strawberry and spelled happy wrong, my guess is because it shows up better on screen and to drive Hagrid's character home. In the book, the cake was a large, sticky chocolate cake with "Happy Birthday Harry" written on it in green icing.

My cousin and fellow superfan (and former midnight movie goer) got me the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, and I've been so excited to make something from it. It was hard to choose, but this just felt right. I have to say, I bake a lot and this cake recipe was so soft and fudgy, I think it was the best I've ever had cake turn out. Plus it was my first layer cake! It was a process in my hot apartment waiting for the cakes to cool and the icing to harden, but it was a lot of fun and the end result was super nostalgic.

The Governor's Gift Flamin' Hot Cheetos [Orange is the New Black]

July 18, 2017 Elyse Roth

From the first episode, I knew OITNB would use food creatively. They roast a whole pig on her last night before prison! I knew I was definitely not wrong when Piper got a tampon breakfast sandwich on her first day (I think??) in jail. I've been wanting to make something from the show for a while, and have a lot of options, but I'm behind and a friend of mine suggested I make Flamin' Hot Cheetos based on a story arc from the current season. You don't have to worry about spoilers because I need to catch up and only know what I've read for context that the governor sent a goodwill gift that included the spicy snack in a shipment. This is yet another experiment in making store-bought things homemade and I'm not sure if it's worth the effort, but they were tasty and the coating would definitely work as a versatile seasoning for a lot of snacks (it was originally intended for popcorn).

#tbt Emily's Gift Scone Mix Scones [Gilmore Girls]

June 8, 2017 Elyse Roth

I made these scones for an Easter brunch I was invited to last year, my first Easter brunch ever. As a leap of faith, I decided to bring a brunch-appropriate baked good that I had never attempted before. For my first go, I went with a plainer, neutral flavor and spent the whole time they were in the oven sufficiently anxious. I don't have that intimate a knowledge of scones to be confident when they were or were not done, so it was a long process of feeling them when they had been baked a while, relying on my not very reliable gut and adding 5 more minutes to the oven timer. In the end, you kind of just *know* when they're ready, and they were a big hit! The whole time I was making them, I couldn't stop thinking about the scone mix Emily gives Lorelai in the first episode of season three, and what a fuss Lorelai makes about never making them. It's a semi annoying, semi comical moment. On the one hand, Emily HAS to know Lorelai never goes near her kitchen for cooking, but on the other it's like Lorelai shut up and just take the gift and give it to Sookie or whatever. I felt pretty Lorelai-ish throughout the process and at times wished I had a mix to go off of, but I was so happy with the end result, I can't wait to try different flavors in the future.

Rachel and Nick's NOLA Date Beignets [The Bachelor(ette)]

June 5, 2017 Elyse Roth

The Bachelorette is back! After a spring intermission the Monday night staple has returned, and, to me, it's one of the most conducive snacking shows around. Bachelor/ette watching parties are usually the most entertaining. For once during a TV show talking is welcome and something about the suitors being men makes it especially fun to discuss and yell at the TV. Rachel was always going to seem like a great Bachelorette, and she hasn't disappointed in the first two episodes. I made these beignets in time for the premiere, but since I was traveling, I didn't put the post together in time. Remember when Rachel and Nick went to NOLA and Nick ate beignets for the first time (as pictured below, very aggressively) with Rachel? Well, that was the inspo for this particular post. No worries that they're a little late, enjoy them for tonight or the rest of the season!

#tbt Jerry's World Peace Black and White Cookies [Seinfeld]

May 18, 2017 Elyse Roth

As a non-native New Yorker (yes, I admit it), black and whites have never been my favorite type of cookie, but as an almost 5-year New York resident, I've eaten my fair share and as a person who loves to bake, they were going to need to come out of my kitchen eventually. The cookie is famous in its own right, but I wanted to attribute it to a particularly New York-y show and moment, so Seinfeld was the perfect fit. In a perfectly Seinfeld-y scene we get both an obsession with the cookie itself AND a great view of the cookie. There's not much more to be said except sorry in advance for making you wanting to watch that episode since you know you can't just stop at one (that can apply to the cookie AND the show, see what I did there!).

Kimmy's Candy For Dinner Wine Gummy Bears [Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt]

May 15, 2017 Elyse Roth

The food world of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a lot more spare than the food world Tina Fey and Robert Carlock created in 30 Rock, but there are still some choice moments. In the first episode when Kimmy is claiming her independence through all the things she can finally do now that she's out of the bunker, she goes to Dylan's Candy Bar and fills up a bag for dinner. I've obviously partaken in candy for dinner more than once, but I wanted to think of a fun way to make Kimmy's meal both homemade and personal. While I was perusing homemade candy options, I came upon these wine gummy bears and it was like a cartoon lightbulb idea moment. What better way to signify adult candy than making it with alcohol? Obviously I dove in head first and made all three types of wine (also obviously I HAD all three types of wine on hand). The result is definitely different—a reconciliation for your mind between what you expect from a gummy bear and how you normally taste wine—but let's just say I'm more than excited that I also have the option to make bear-shaped ice cubes for the rest of time.

#tbt Bluth Frozen Bananas [Arrested Development]

May 11, 2017 Elyse Roth

Now that it's finally getting warmer and summer aka the season of just re-watching everything I've already watched is upon us, I think of warm weather treats and what shows are on the agenda. This Bluth Boardwalk staple came to mind. Not only is it the center of so many funny moments on the show, it's also the most obvious Arrested Development-related food. Actually, it has been on the list of things to make since before the blog even existed, but there's a time and a place for everything and this one is here now. It doesn't take a genius to freeze a banana and coat it in chocolate, but through some research, I got more ideas. The good thing about this treat is that you can use whatever toppings you like once you know the general process. Mine included milk chocolate, caramel, peanut butter, coconut chips and nuts, but there's plenty more months of warm weather to experiment with more combinations. The bad thing about it is that no matter what it will always be awkward to eat and photograph. But when all is said and done, there's always money in the banana stand.

Dev's Vegetarian Cabonara [Master of None]

May 8, 2017 Elyse Roth

I watched the first season of Master of None in one day because of course I did, and besides being thrilled to have Aziz back on my TV, it was a refreshing and realistic yet funny look at millennial life in New York. Obviously it was also amazing for those who are into food and the restaurant scene and plenty of work was put in by journalists to find where they ate on the show. Of course I loved that focus, but when I had the idea for this blog, I remembered a scene that prompted a "challenge accepted" moment from this show. In "Mornings," when Dev uses his spaghetti maker to make a vegetarian version of carbonara for his girlfriend, Rachel, my mind went into overdrive thinking about how I could make that a reality. Part of carbonara's trademark is the smoky meat used in the sauce, so I did a bunch of research to figure out how to replicate it and combined a few recipes that would help make the absence of meat a little more exciting while still resembling the source material. Now, I'm determined to make the real thing (technically in the show he makes both!).

#tbt Ross's 'I'm Fine' Chilaquiles [Friends]

May 4, 2017 Elyse Roth

This part of the Friends plot is decidedly not my favorite, but I've always loved this episode. Ross is at his Ross-iest and the less than compelling plot point of some of the friends switching significant others does make for some great comic elements. I also just love the idea of going to a Friend's (literally!) place and having a full on Mexican meal with fajitas and margs. It just seems so fun! I've seen this episode more times than I can count, and the line "That is going to HURT tomorrow!" is both delivered perfectly forever burned into my brain. I feel his too-many-margs pain when he wakes up on the couch the next morning, it's just a great fun and new-feeling way to get a majority of the group together in a scene. When my friend Sam suggested we make these veggie chilaquiles, I saw the skillet and Ross holding a hot pan with his bare hands instantly came to mind, so I fudged it a bit because it's a dish that can be either chilaquiles OR fajitas.

Cassidy's Revival Blood (Orange Lemonade) [Preacher]

May 1, 2017 Elyse Roth

I have a blind faith in anything Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg do. When I heard they were teaming up with Breaking Bad writer and producer Sam Catlin to create a series based on a comic book for AMC, Preacher, I was immediately excited. Around this time last year, the first season premiered and I was instantly hooked. It's an off-center show that's a bit Tarantino, a bit Breaking Bad, a bit This is the End and a peppering of a few more filmmaking styles. It's cinematic, funny, well acted and very gory. The whole season was just added to Hulu, and I found myself super excited for it to return so I started to watch again. In a particularly gory introduction, non-True Blood or Twilight vampire Cassidy abruptly gets into a fight on board a swanky airplane, leaves everyone dead and jumps out of the plane with just a bottle of blood and an umbrella to use as a parachute. Once again, I took on the challenge of turning something decidedly gross into a delicious drink that resembled the real fake thing. It's the perfect fresh pairing for a spring and summer meal.

#tbt Peggy's Upgraded Sad Desk Sandwich [Mad Men]

April 27, 2017 Elyse Roth

This is not a post connected to The Handmaid's Tale, or not really, but I'm SO EXCITED that it's finally here. Not only was the book amazing and I actually have faith in Hulu to adapt it faithfully, but the cast is also amazing. In the lead up to the premiere, I've been seeing a lot of Elisabeth Moss, and since I finished The West Wing and Mad Men is long over, I realized I really miss seeing her on screen in something new. I decided to culinarily revisit her in the form of early Mad Men, when Peggy was a lowly secretary living at home and brought a sad desk lunch of a sandwich and bruised banana to work. Since there's nothing appetizing about that, I took the liberty to give it an upgrade and left the banana behind.

When I was in high school, my best friend, Julia, invented this amazing sandwich. She takes after her mom in the sense that she's very good at "shopping in her fridge," assessing what ingredients she has and assembling them into something delicious (whereas, I almost always need a recipe as a guide just like my mom). What my friends now call a "Julia Sandwich" is simple and full of fresh and complementary ingredients. It's the perfect thing to look forward to for lunch at work and it's always reliable for a Saturday Netflix marathon lunch break with a friend or few. Just set up all the ingredients and let your guests make their own.

Peter Gregory's Sesame Hamburger Buns [Silicon Valley]

April 24, 2017 Elyse Roth

Silicon Valley is one of those shows that's amazing and you are always reminded as soon as it's back and you can't wait for next week's episode. I love this episode from the first season, where awkwardness and tensions are high and we still don't know the characters and world so well. Eccentricities are common amongst the people in the world, and this scene with Peter Gregory and everything on the menu from Burger King was so memorable, I thought I had to celebrate the return of the new season of the show with the real subject of that scene. They seem kind of random on their own, but who doesn't keep a few buns on reserve in the freezer for burger night or one of those nights that you just have to go with a frozen veggie burger. I already had all the ingredients for these, so on one of those days, why not go with something homemade?

#tbt Liz Lemon's Christmas Half Sleeve of Oreos [30 Rock]

April 22, 2017 Elyse Roth

The first time I was made aware of Tracey Wigfield was when she was on stage with Tina Fey to accept an Emmy for co-writing and episode of 30 Rock. It prompted me to do a deep dive into her background, and shortly after I was made aware through Mindy Kaling's Instagram that she had been recruited to be a part of her writing staff when 30 Rock was coming to an end. I then followed their friendship and her eventual sale of her very own Tina Fey-produced comedy and its making on her own Instagram. I find her hilarious, and some of her 30 Rock episodes are the funniest of the series, so I'm optimistic about her new show, Great News, which premieres next week. To celebrate, I decided to make a familiar favorite from one of the episodes of 30 Rock that she wrote.

Oreos are one of my all time favorite foods, and I've been wanting to make homemade ones for a long time. These were so much easier than recipes I've found in the past, and they were a big hit with all 6 people who finished them in about 24 hours. It's not hard to identify with Liz finishing the half sleeve of Oreos she was bringing to Jack's house for Christmas in the cab on the way.

Selina's Stomach Flu-Free Froyo [Veep]

April 17, 2017 Elyse Roth

While we're on a political roll, I'm celebrating the premiere of Veep with an early episode that I will always associate with the show's antics, plus it's even CALLED Frozen Yogurt. Selina was set to have a froyo tasting at a local DC shop where they even named a flavor after her. Selina gets a taste of the presidency in this episode, and between the staff and her dismissal of her VP tasks once she's briefly called to be president, this episode is always one I like to revisit. Although she went thinking she was going to try the flavor named after her, Selina Strawberry, she only got melty vanilla. I wanted to go the fruit route though since I already made vanilla ice cream, and I had frozen blueberries on hand. If you want to make vanilla, I considered using this recipe (via Greatist) before settling on blueberry. I guess we can call this...Biden Blueberry?

#tbt Ainsley Hayes's Bipartisan Meeting Muffins [The West Wing]

April 13, 2017 Elyse Roth

Just a warning that this might turn into a love letter to The West Wing. I just finished the almost 20-year-old show last week, and I'm in major withdrawal. I started it a year ago once I had finished my foray into fast talking with Gilmore Girls because Joshua Malina (who ended up being on the show) and Hrishi Hirway started a podcast to discuss each episode. Like I had been doing with Gilmore Girls/Gilmore Guys, I wanted to follow along. I had to give it up for a while because Aaron Sorkin's writing demanded my full attention, but around the inauguration this year, I found myself craving the humanity of President Bartlet and his loyal staff. From there, I attempted to savor it in the beginning, but eventually devoured each season pushing far ahead of the podcast and unfortunately to the end. I could sing so many praises about the show, but we're here for the food, so let's get to it.

At the beginning of season 2, we meet Ainsley Hayes, a conservative lawyer who challenges our main staff of democrats. In one of her first episodes, we are introduced to her love of baked goods through her telling off a panel of White House opponents and then asking to take a muffin from the meeting. We don't get a great look at the muffin, but I imagined a selection of untouched assorted bakery style muffins on a tray in the middle of the table, so I went with my obvious choice, chocolate chip.

Gus Fring's Los Pollos Hermanos Fried Chicken [Better Call Saul/Breaking Bad]

April 10, 2017 Elyse Roth

Breaking Bad had people wishing Los Pollos Hermanos was as pervasive as McDonald's, and Gus Fring was an amazing stoic villain. We're getting more of him on Better Call Saul, and there's lots of publicity to go with it (it's even coming to life!). Although that restaurant seemed more like a bone-in chicken type of joint, I was in the mood to eat some tenders. I'm not shy about my dislike for cooking with hot oil, so I dove yet again into oven frying. I found this great easy recipe that's practically fast food (minus marinading time), and they taste just as good as anything you'd get off a restaurant menu.

#tbt Skyler White's Easy "Deli" Green Beans [Breaking Bad]

April 6, 2017 Elyse Roth

This famous "green bean scene" that takes place near the end of Breaking Bad's run helped plant the seed for this blog's existence. Food isn't really a focus in the show, and since every little detail is intentional and the writing is absolutely perfect, it's one of the best uses of food in TV ever. I'll never forget the straight on shot of Skyler, Jesse and Walt sitting around the table awkwardly eating and not talking, their dislike for each other palpable. The green beans are pretty much the only topic of conversation during this hostile dinner, and because of that, we get a lot of information about them. There's so much drama and comedy packed into this simple scene, it's so fun to revisit in the midst of moving towards the conclusion of a show that keeps the punches coming. In response to the fact that Skyler didn't even cook the green beans, I dressed up a the simple way I usually cook mine with some lemon and almonds (and the option of parmesan). They're perfect for a quick and easy side or even a light snack.

Liv's Spicy "Brain" (Shrimp) Flatbread [iZombie]

April 3, 2017 Elyse Roth

When iZombie was premiering, I was so excited Rob Thomas was coming out with a new show. I had recently binged Veronica Mars, very late to the game, and his new comic book adaptation sounded like a fun new take on his mid aughts high school detective show. It ended up being as catchy and endearing as its predecessor, with a zombie twist. Our protagonist, Liv, needs to eat brains to survive, and the show does a really fun take on this trope. Each episode dedicates some time to show how Live prepares her brains du jour, always with a clever new "recipe." Before I had the idea for this blog, this is something I wanted to replicate. Even though it's pretty gross when you think too hard about it, I appreciate that the writers/prop team takes the time to and creativity to highlight this trait in our zombie lead. The show returns this week for a new season, and I jazzed up a brain pizza she made in the first season, of course subbing brain for shrimp, the closest food I could come up with to take its place. I also made sure it had some spice because that's a fun palate detail of iZombie's undead. For all the "brain food" we see on the show, someone from the website Cactus Pop documented every dish.

#tbt George Costanza's Stolen Twix Cake [Seinfeld]

April 1, 2017 Elyse Roth

I'll start out by admitting, like I did on Instagram, that only 2 out of the 3 elements of this cake turned out successfully. I'm not really sure what went wrong because everything went as it was supposed to, but my quest to cook sugar successfully every time (and without mild fear) will continue. But let's focus on the good parts. I was so excited to make this because it seemed like a fun challenge and I've never baked something FOR someone's birthday. My friend was hosting a birthday party and she loves Twix, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try this out. She also happens to love Seinfeld and there's a hilarious Twix moment in that show, and I had my pairing. Sure, this is a little bit of a cheat by interpreting the real thing, but for a birthday, the rules are bendable. Plus, I made the rules, so...

Jessica Jones's Revenge Chinese Takeout [Jessica Jones]

March 28, 2017 Elyse Roth

We all have those days where all you can do for dinner is park it on the couch and order your favorite Chinese feast, knowing full well it's way more than you can eat and likely all fried. It's delicious at the time, but 20 minutes later, your insides feel a little greased and it takes Herculean effort just to get up to put the lefties in the fridge. A friend of mine sent this recipe for sheet pan fried rice to me, and I knew I had to try it. I don't typically dabble in order-in staples, but this is a much healthier version of a delivery go-to, plus it's super quick, it almost seems too good to be true. When I thought about shows I've watched, a lot of them have good Chinese takeout moments, but I thought I'd assign this one to one of my favorite characters in recent memory. At the end of the first season of Jessica Jones (on Netflix), she tricks the season's villain, Kilgrave, into eating drugged Chinese food so she can take over her situation. It's such a badass move, and since Women's History Month is coming to a close, I thought it was appropriate to dedicate a dish to her.